The Goal
Simplify the parking experience by helping drivers quickly find, compare and choose nearby parking options while saving time and lowering costs in car-dependent urban environments.
ParkAlot
Redesigned core parking journey to help drivers find and navigate to nearby parking with less confusion.
Collaboration
- 1 Developer
Tools Used
Introduction
ParkAlot is a parking app that helps drivers find, compare and choose nearby parking in car-dependent cities. The existing build worked but was hard to use, so the product was reviewed screen by screen, redesigned around real drivers’ journeys and improved while preserving much of the developer’s original design system. It was then tested again with users after release.
The Challenge
The existing app was functional, but did not fully reflect how drivers search for parking under time pressure. The redesign focused on simplifying this journey.
Context
Target Users
Independent drivers aged 24 and above who frequently search for nearby parking options in large urban areas.
User Flow
The flow represents the app’s primary scenario, highlighting how it supports drivers who need to find nearby parking.
User Survey
- METHOD
- Qualitative, Semi-structured interviews
- FORMAT
- Face-to-face usability testing
- SAMPLE
- 8 participants
WHY THIS APPROACH
The product was still in development and available only in test mode, so guerrilla approach testing was the fastest way to gather actionable feedback.
Before & After Screens
Every screen of the original build was reviewed against its redesign, from authentication through the core parking flow.
SCREEN 01 · AUTHENTICATION
- Added a visible password toggle to reduce input errors during account creation.
- Improved the transition between registration and login by introducing a clearer visual flow and reducing user confusion after sign-up.
- Refined system notifications and microcopy to create a clearer and more professional onboarding experience.
SCREEN 02 · ACCOUNT CONFIRMATION
- Refined button labels and CTA wording to better match the user’s current flow from entering the mobile app and reduce confusion.
SCREEN 03 · MAP INTERACTIONS
- Improved the problem-report system by adding clearer identifying icons and visually separated reporting categories.
- Introduced location permission approval on app entry and added dynamic location button states to better inform users about their current position.
- Redesigned the search and menu area by combining components, simplifying the button shape, and reducing unnecessary map obstruction.
- Added long-press map interaction to allow users to select locations visually without needing the exact street name.
- Added an exit confirmation modal to prevent users from leaving the app immediately when pressing the back button.
SCREEN 04 · SEARCH INTERACTION
- Expanded the clickable area of the search component so both the text and icon trigger the interaction.
- Improved interaction feedback and touch responsiveness to reduce confusion and repeated presses.
- Refined the “Search Here” interaction with clearer visual guidance and smoother transitions to improve usability.
SCREEN 05 · SEARCH EXPERIENCE
- Improved location search visibility and guidance to make the search flow more intuitive for users.
- Refined the visual design and graphics to create a cleaner and more modern interface.
- Added recent searches and favorites to improve accessibility and speed up repeated parking searches.
SCREEN 06 · SEARCH PREFERENCES
- Refined the UI to improve visual clarity, consistency, and overall usability.
SCREEN 07 · INPUT INFORMATION
- Simplified time selection by replacing unrealistic minute inputs with more practical parking duration increments.
- Refined the parking duration flow to better align with the app’s primary target audience and real-world parking behavior.
- Reorganized the date and time selection into clearer controls with practical presets, reducing manual input.
SCREEN 08 · PARKING LIST EVOLUTION
- Improved navigation clarity by reducing dead-end interactions and making the return flow more intuitive for users.
- Added more visible back navigation and swipe-back interactions aligned with common mobile usability patterns.
- Researched and explored list-based navigation solutions to better guide users while browsing parking options.
SCREEN 09 · PARKING INFORMATION
- Introduced multiple parking availability states such as “Last Spots” to better reflect real-time parking conditions in busy areas.
- Expanded parking lot information to provide users with more detailed and useful data when comparing parking options.
- Improved the favorites experience by adding a dedicated favorites category and a focused map view for saved locations.
- Reorganized parking details into a clearer card hierarchy with grouped actions and visual information, making options easier to scan and compare.
SCREEN 10 · NAVIGATION
- Improved navigation behavior by keeping users within the same flow after starting navigation actions, reducing unnecessary backward transitions and confusion.
SCREEN 11 · SIDE MENU
- Expanded the side menu from an empty state into a functional navigation area with useful account and app options.
- Added membership and ranking components to support monetization and encourage users to contribute parking data.
- Added a dedicated settings area to organize account management and preferences.
- Moved account deletion into settings and added a confirmation modal to prevent accidental deletion.
- Added a saved parking map to give users quick access to their favorite parking locations.
Landing page
A rebrand of the product presented as a marketing site, with two redesign routes built in Figma and in React. The new name was chosen for its familiarity within the parking space, helping the product feel more recognizable and credible. In addition, I conducted an SEO check for the landing page and identified improvements to support better visibility, structure, and search performance
Feedback
After the first official release the same users were surveyed again, to measure whether the redesign actually improved.
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Not sure
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
User interface improvements
Does the updated interface feel clearer and easier to use?
- Participant 1: Strongly agree
- Participant 2: Agree
- Participant 3: Agree
- Participant 4: Agree
- Participant 5: Agree
- Participant 6: Agree
- Participant 7: Agree
- Participant 8: Not sure
N=8, Each segment represents one participant.
Database improvements
Did you notice a broader, more useful range of parking information available to you?
- Participant 1: Strongly agree
- Participant 2: Agree
- Participant 3: Agree
- Participant 4: Agree
- Participant 5: Agree
- Participant 6: Agree
- Participant 7: Agree
- Participant 8: Not sure
N=8, Each segment represents one participant.
Feature enhancements
Do the added or refined features better support your parking needs?
- Participant 1: Strongly agree
- Participant 2: Agree
- Participant 3: Agree
- Participant 4: Agree
- Participant 5: Agree
- Participant 6: Not sure
- Participant 7: Disagree
- Participant 8: Disagree
N=8, Each segment represents one participant.
Parking discovery process improvements
Is finding and choosing a parking spot quicker and more intuitive in this version?
- Participant 1: Strongly agree
- Participant 2: Strongly agree
- Participant 3: Strongly agree
- Participant 4: Agree
- Participant 5: Agree
- Participant 6: Agree
- Participant 7: Not sure
- Participant 8: Disagree
N=8, Each segment represents one participant.
Key Insights
Based on user comments and conclusions drawn from the data gathered during research.
Greater Map Control
Users wanted the ability to move and explore the map while choosing a parking lot instead of it being fixed, showing that spatial freedom is important for confident decisions.
More Flexible Date & Time Search
Participants preferred broader date ranges and manual input over quick selectors, indicating the need for more granular filtering options.
Data Accuracy & Coverage Matter
Some inconsistencies in parking prices and missing lot information reduced trust, highlighting the importance of up-to-date and complete data.
Overall Improvement
Most survey responses agreed that the redesign improved clarity, feature usefulness and the speed of finding parking, suggesting a positive usability trend.